Living On Food Stamps: The purpose of This blog is to share ideas and to offer encouragement. In the comment section Please share your story and how you are managing during these tough economical times. I truly believe through friendships, encouragement, love, compassion and sharing we will get through this and perhaps even come out wiser and stronger.

**Very interesting and very important:Forms of
HerbsThe goal of the herbalist is to release the volatile oils,
antibiotics, aromatics, and other healing chemicals contained by the herb. Herbs can be
prepared in a variety of forms depending on their purpose. Such techniques include:

Juice squeezed from herbs.

Mashing herbs into a paste.

Decoction or extracting the active ingredients
by boiling
down the herb in water.

Hot infusion (like hot tea)- Herb is steeped in hot water.

Cold infusion (like sun tea) - Herb is steeped in cold water.

Herbs ground into a powder and used as such or as compressed
into a pill.

Herbal wine made by adding the herb to water and sugar and
letting it ferment.

Tincture, made by combining ground herbs with alcohol,
glycerin or vinegar and used internally.

Liniment - Made like a tincture except it is used externally.

Salves and ointments made by adding herbs to a medium such
as petroleum jelly.

Syrups - Made by adding herb to a medium such as honey,
sugar or glycerin.

Poultice - Herb is applied directly to a wound or body part
and held in place with a cloth.

Herbal Oil - Usually made with common base oil, such as
olive, almond, grape seed, or sesame oils. The herb is allowed to sit in the oil for a
week. It is strained and bottled.

In general, delicate leaves and flowers are best infused.
Boiling may cause them to lose the volatile essential oils. Roots, barks, and seeds are
best made into decoctions.****Standardized
vs. Whole HerbAs the herbs are getting more and more popular, more and
more manufacturers are supplying standardized herb extracts. A standardized extract means
that the manufacturer has verified that the active ingredient believed to be present in
the herb is present in the preparation and that the potency and the amount of the active
ingredient is assured in the preparation. The problem is that, the action of the herb may
be from a number of constituents and not from just one or two ingredients. Thus, the
standardized preparation may omit some of the ingredients and we will lose out on the
effect from the complex combination of the constituents.

Friday, September 28, 2012

Looking for a few ways to save money on your next grocery bill? Making your own pantry supplies is one way to shave those dollars!

You can whip up batches of homemade cake mix, Bisquick, Hamburger Helper, dry soups plus a whole lot more…even your own spice and seasoning blends.
Not only are these ideal for stocking up the pantry, many are also suitable for packaging as gifts in a jar (see this page[1] for more ideas). They also come in handy as a substitution for out-of-stock items when you’re in a pinch.
Here are over 100 goodies you can check out, you’ll find them separated into two groups for easier browsing. I’ve included a few recipes from the Baking Substitutes[2]and Herbs & Spices: Storage Tips Guide[3] pages.

Lots here folks, enjoy!

PS: This is just the start! As with all collections here on Tipnut, I’ll be adding more goodies as I come across them. You may want to bookmark this page for future reference, it’s sure to come in handy .

This home remedy was sent in by three different readers over the past year or so but I was hesitant to publish it since it involves consuming a bit of alcohol and I’m extra cautious with those…but I finally got a chance to do a bit of investigating and found some credible online sources who have declared that it can work for relieving arthritis pain (and why).
First, here’s the gist of the remedy (all three recipes were pretty much the same so I’ll combine them into one), I added the sources I researched underneath:Ingredients:*Can make any amount you wish, this is just a rough guideline

1 cup Golden or “White” raisins (can’t be any other kind)

Approximately 3/4 cup good quality Gin

Directions:

Dump them into a glass or ceramic bowl (a large canning jar works too) then pour the alcohol over top until they are *just* covered (they must be fully covered).

Cover bowl with a piece of cheesecloth or a coffee filter (to keep out dust) and set it out of the way (keep at room temperature).

Leave for two weeks or until all the liquid has been absorbed by the fruit (minimum one week, top up with more if necessary).

Store them in a sealed glass jar and refrigerate.

Instructions:

Eat 9 of them each day, you can add them to a bowl of cereal if you don’t care for the taste of them on their own. You can also sprinkle with cinnamon to help with the taste.

May take 4 to 6 weeks of daily consumption before it starts working.

*Variation: One tip suggested eating 15 each day for the first two weeks, then drop to 9.

Verdict: It works! Drinking alcohol has been shown to cut the risks of developing rheumatoid arthritis in half. Gin is flavored by the juniper berry, which contains anti-inflammatory properties. Raisins contain ferulic acid, gentisic acid and salicylic acid – all natural pain relievers

Here’s an article from FoxNews[2] explaining in more detail why it can work, a brief quote (they also advise eating 10 a day):

The deductions here do not add up to an absolute guarantee that gin-soaked raisins will work to relieve your arthritis. But without question, there are enough anti-inflammatory, pain-relieving compounds in the golden raisins, the sulfur dioxide and the juniper gin to add up to a lot of very likely relief.

Thanks very much to Bill, Cheryl and Maria for sending this in (who each claimed it works for them or for a loved one), sorry I took my time posting it!
If you’re looking for a remedy that doesn’t contain alcohol, I do have a few here to try:

Eat tart cherries or drink sour cherry frequently.

Cinnamon & Honey: Each morning take 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon with 1 tablespoon of honey.

Fresh Ginger: Take a small piece of peeled, fresh ginger with breakfast, lunch and dinner (piece size about 1/2″).

Organic Apple Cider Vinegar & Honey: Each day take one tablespoon of honey and one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar mixed with a large glass of water (warm).

Note: This information is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice and is simply a collection of information that I’ve gathered.

Staring at a grocery store's wall of teas can be intimidating. There are so many options to scan before picking the one you will eventually ring through at the register. And every one has a different purpose, from soothing your throat to helping you lose weight to just tasting pretty darn good. Having recently been sick with a combination of allergies (due to the move cross country - there are so many new plants out here!) and what I assume is the common cold, instead of going out to buy a few teas for all my ailments, I concocted my own (ginger, garlic, rosemary, tumeric, oregano, plus a little local honey).

Making your own tea is surprisingly simple - it’s like making a soup, really. You just take a whole bunch of ingredients, chop them up, throw it all into a boiling pot of water for five to ten minutes, then strain the flavored water into your favorite mug.

The only thing you need to figure out is what ingredients you need. So based on my research, here are some of the most helpful tea ingredients (all found in your local health food store) to combat any ailments you might experience.

1. Ginger - Anti-viral. Containing nearly a dozen antiviral compounds, it is also pain-relieving, antiseptic, and antioxidant. Helps prevent and treats colds, sore throats, and inflamation of mucus membranes. It also reduces pain and fever and has a mild sedative effect that encourages rest.

2. Echinacea (leaves and flower petals) - Anti-bacterial. Increases levels of properdin, a chemical that activates part of the immune system responsible for increasing defence mechanisms against viral and bacterial attacks.

6. Peppermint - It is not only a painkiller for headaches and reduces fevers by inducing sweating and cooling of the body, but it helps bring up mucus and other material from the lungs, bronchi, and trachea during bronchitis, colds, and the flu.

7. Blackberry (leaves or fruit) - The fruit is very rich in vitamin C, and the leaves can be used in teas.

Jackie Leavitt is a traveler with a passion for writing. Or a writer with a passion for travel. She currently lives in San Francisco, pursuing both loves and dabbling in other interests, including yoga, cooking, rock climbing, running, latte art, photography, and painting. She graduated from the University of New Hampshire with B.A.s in Journalism and European Culture Studies, and after working behind a desk as an editor for 16 months, she moved to the West Coast to involve herself more in her life passions.

Sunday, September 16, 2012

Tuck more nutrition and flavor into the things you cook.Provide value-added thickening for soups (as opposed to using wheat flour or cornstarch for this job).Stretch your grocery dollar by (a) powdering less-expensive vegetables that may not be so popular with your family, but are nevertheless nutritious, and (b) making use of all your clean, uncooked leftovers, including the trimmings.

Keep in mind that while a batch of mixed vegetables can yield interesting results, batches of the same vegetable will dry more uniformly and provide a more predictable "punch" for your other recipes. You can always mix single-veggie powders later.

Steps 1

Clean the items selected for dehydration.Clean the items selected for dehydration. Cosmetic perfection is unnecessary, but trim off any damaged, bruised, or browned areas.

Step 2

Blanch the items to preserve color.Blanch the items to preserve color.

Step 3

Shred rather than chop.Shred rather than chop. Shredded vegetable matter is far easier than hard chunks to grind into powder.

When dehydration is complete, allow the shreds to cool before grinding them in a coffee-bean grinder.When dehydration is complete,allow the shreds to cool before grinding them in a coffee-bean grinder.

Step 6

You may find it useful to shake the material from the grinder through a sieve.You may find it useful to shake the material from the grinder through a sieve. Put the larger pieces left behind through a second grind.

Step 7

Store in sealed jars.Store in sealed jars.

Tips

In most cases, the items you place in a dehydrator should not overlap. This is difficult to accomplish with shreds. Return to your dehydrating project every few hours and use clean fingers to stir the shreds so that all surfaces get exposure.

Make vegetable pate by mixing enough of any vegetable powder with any one of the following "bases" to form a paste: olive oil, feta cheese, unsalted butter, plain yogurt, cream cheese, sour cream. Select the base that you feel goes best with the vegetable in question. Serve with crackers.

Consider using vegetable powders to artistically color mashed potatoes or cauliflower to entertain and interest the younger set. Beets provide a deep red, carrots offer orange, many other vegetables contribute green--and all so much more nutritious than food coloring! Divide the food to be colored into multiple bowls and add your coloring ingredients by bowl, so that the colors remain as unmixed as possible until serving time.

A home dehydrator. If you don't have one, you can spread the shreds onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. (You can find parchment paper in most supermarkets near the aluminum foil and other food-safe wraps.) Place the cookie sheet in an oven set at a very low temp (150-200 degrees F). A less costly and more creative approach may be to wedge a clean window screen so that it provides a flat horizontal surface between the seats of a car parked in a sunny spot. At any rate, you can consult the Internet for plans for ad-hoc, home built dehydrators.

A food processor with a shredding function, OR a large-bore grater--and lots of patience.A coffee-bean grinder.A fine-meshed sieve.Glass containers with lids that you can seal.

Friday, August 31, 2012

Lately I've been making my own Tea Blends. One of my favorites I came up with one morning was a happy accident. My plan was to try out a cup of Lavender Tea with honey. I've never had it before but told how wonderful it was by one of my D&A Counseling instructors several years back. It sounded -oh so- exotic and enchanting, I had to try it. Only, I didn't know where to get it. Then I thought: 'Amazon.com' Of Course! Amazon.com is the portal from which all good thing come through so I ordered a pound bag of 'Organic Culinary Lavender' (you won't believe how many little lavender buds there are in a pound). Anyway..... I made a cup and I HATED IT!!! It was strong in flavor and bitter. I'm sure I must have done something wrong. So in my I decided on my usual Green Tea instead. Pulled out my three cup French Press (a GoodWill Shop find), dumped in 3 teaspoons of Gun Powder Green Tea, then I thought: 'Why not make it Vanilla Green Tea' so sliced (I used scissors )very thin 1/4 Vanilla Bean...then I noticed a few Lavender buds had fallen and scattered across the countertop... and I though: 'Oh hell, why not'? so I scooped them up and dropped them into the French Press with the sliced vanilla bean & green tea, poured in the boiling water, let it steep for about 5 minuts. Poured a cup, sweetened with honey -and- it was DELICIOUS! A perfect blend. Other blends I've tried are Earl Grey & Lavender -and- Chamomile with Lavender.

I grow Mint in my herb garden and have tossed a few mint leaves in with my green tea...very good.

Tea
bags are convenient, but you pay a pretty price for that convenience.
I've been using my French Press or a stainless steel one cup tea strainer ( which by the way, you can get a 2nd and sometimes even a weak 3rd cup from the same tea leaves).

So far I've been purchased all of my Loose Teas from Amazon.com and I buy only Organic. Awhile back I got an Amazon Prime membership for $79 a year for the 'Streaming Videos' and the membership includes free 2 day shipping for all products that have 'Prime' and because it's very convient for me. I haven't tried the recipes below yet but am looking forward to doing so. Soon I will be filling pint Mason Jars with different Loose Tea Blends, labeling and decorating..... Guess what the people in my family are going to be getting for Christmas?

Recipes

Sweet Mint Tea
Makes: about 1 C. dry and 18 servings¾ C. peppermint leaf3 T. licorice root ( known to raise Blood Pressure) I would try substituting with crushed Anis SeedCaffeine-Free ChaiMakes: about 1 C. dry and 25 servings6 T. cinnamon chips4 T. dry ginger root2 T. whole allspice, lightly crushed2 T. cardamom, decorticated (or whole pods, crushed)1 T. fennel seeds1 T. whole clove, lightly crushed1 T. black pepper corns
Directions: combine 1 tsp. of chai mix per cup of water in a small
pot with a lid. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 1 minute.
Remove from heat and let it steep in the pot with the lid on for 5
minutes. Strain into a mug. Use more chai mix and/or less water to make a
stronger chai if you are going to add milk.

Caffeinated Chai
Follow the above directions for herbal chai. After boiling the herbs
for 1 minute, add 1 tsp. of loose black tea per cup of water and then
steep for 5 minutes off the heat. Strain into a mug.

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

I just imported blog posts from an older blog (Green & Groovy). I can't keep up with both so I merged them since being Frugal and living Green are profoundly connected anyway. So sip a cup of tea/coffee/beer/whatever, put your feet up and explore older posts...I'm sure you'll find something interesting, if not useful.

2. Smoothies. Make extra and store it in the fridge for later in the day, or use the jar to bring the smoothie when you’re on the go.

3. Drinking water for day. Need a way to visually measure how much water you are drinking throughout the day? Try using quart or 1/2 gallon mason jars to put your daily water out on the counter, then use it to refill glasses until it’s gone. You’ll know for sure whether you hit your water target or not.

4. Sprouting seeds or grains. With the sprouting lids I mentioned, this is a breeze for making fresh green sprouts. But even without fancy lids, I’ve been using jars for sprouting for years. Works for sprouting grains, too.

7. Sourdough starter. I like pint jars for creating new sourdough starter, then I’ll transfer it to a quart or 1/2 gallon jar for storing and maintaining the starter long term.

8. Making/storing kombucha. This healthful, fermented drink can also be flavored.

9. Homemade yogurt. I like making mine directly in jars, either in my oven or in my Excalibur dehydrator. Another option is to make yogurt in your crockpot, then transfer to jars once cool and set for easy fridge storage.

13. Storing homemade juice or iced teas in fridge. The large 1/2 gallon jars are particularly perfect for this, and even for brewing the tea, especially with the screw-on plastic lids.

14. Keeping herbs fresh in the fridge (green onions, cilantro, etc.). Fill a jar 3/4 full with water, place your bunch of fresh herbs in it, then store in the fridge for herbs that keep much longer than they would in your produce drawer.

18. Canning. Whether you stick to a batch or two of jam each season, or you want to get serious about preserving the season’s bounty, this is the season to think about stocking up on jars if you plan to do some summer preserving.

20. Mixing salad dressings. I use 1/2 pint or pint jars with lids to mix up salad dressings, then store them in the door of my fridge to make salad eating simple. You could do this with homemade marinades or other types of sauces as well.

24. Fermenting foods like salsa or pickles or sauerkraut. Leave them out on the counter while fermenting, then add a lid and store in the fridge, while you enjoy these digestion-boosting foods.

25. As a drinking glass. I’ve seen many people actually build up a collection of various mason jars, purely for the sake of using as drinking glasses. Great for everyday, or fun for a party or special event.

26. Dry baking mixes like bread, pancakes, etc. Making your own homemade baking mixes saves money and time. Store them in amounts that are just right for one morning of pancakes, or two loaves of bread, to simplify the baking process even more (no measuring!).

28. Soup broth. Store your homemade bone broth for a few days in your fridge, or in your freezer (but make sure to leave a good amount of headroom so that your jars don’t crack).

29. Food gifts. Layered food mixes, like dry bean soup or cookies in a jar, look so lovely and homey in a mason jar. Add a pretty fabric or decorative paper label to the lid to make it extra special.

30. Decoratively. Aside from their practical uses, they’re also just plain old pretty. Try doing a search on Pinterest for Mason Jar. You won’t believe how many amazing ideas you find. Candles, lanterns, party decor… the possibilities are endless!

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